What i most loved about this film is that it shows us all how life really is.We all have our hopes and dreams. The reality is that the faster we all realise human kind is simply on a conveyor belt to slowly assure the evolution of mankind and therefore stop our own extinction. Past that... well there really is nothing past that.. believe in the bible, Koran or Torah... we all have to face reality at one point or another.Watch this film and absorb the multitude of emotions in which we all go through. If you can get past them all. Well done.. you are a less sensitive human being than i am.9/10

Finally an American film that is neither utterly predictable nor filmed in the dark. The central performance is a trifle showy in a brilliant way but it is also highly original. Congratulations to those who made this film for persevering with the very subtle twist, possibly the best thing about it. Aren't ambitious women capable of the absolutely terrible? I loved it and it had the same mood (sense of fun), though less stylised, as the glorious Heathers. Why has young Reece not received nominations for his performance or is this film anathema for "Hollywood"? I do hope the more worldly amongst you give this film a chance. It is not just entertainment.

The "coming of age" is in quotes because its not in your face. In fact, it is so subtle that people complain that the ending is weak. I just now finished watching the ending for the second and I have to say that it is perfect. The first time around, I watched it thinking its just another teen comedy. Hence, I was just waiting for run-of-the-mill stuff to kick-in. It never did. Just watch it keenly and not hope for a Hollywood ending and you will see what I mean. The rest of the movie is also very good. I did get a little impatient with Hal's stutter but I am glad I stayed with it. The acting is top notch. Anna and Recce stand out. Hope to see a lot more of them in near future.

Very interesting movie, although in the end not very realistic. It features a type of debate style I had never seen, where participants speak in a very rapid style, to get out as much information in their alloted time. Although the actors weren't necessarily chosen because of this trait, they do it very well.Reece Thompson is arguably the main actor as Hal Hefner, the meek high school kid with a bad stuttering problem. Hal is smart, he analyzes his own situation well, he has sessions with a teacher to learn how to overcome the problem, but nothing seems to work.So Hal and we, the audience, are quite surprised when one day on the bus to school Anna Kendrick as cute and smart Ginny Ryerson approaches him to convince him to join the debate team. Seems one stellar debate team member just up and quit, and left school, and they needed to recruit someone. She just knew Hal could be a stellar debate member.Hal of course is reluctant but is attracted to Ginny who it seems is also leading him on a bit. She has ulterior motives, but it doesn't surface until much later.In my earlier remarks I said the story doesn't seem realistic. In high school (or college, for that matter) would a debate team coach put up for competition a stutterer without ever having that person demonstrate that they could perform properly in practice? From my experience the answer is "no".Anyway the story is really about Hal and how this experience was the catalyst for his own growing up, to be able to realize what is really important in life.SPOILERS: Ginny had an ulterior motive. She wanted to add someone incompetent to the team, to help her own chances of winning the state title. The prior year she and her partner would have won, had he not quit during the final debate. Feeling cheated, she made plans to partner with a boy on the rival team, and after getting Ben on her own school team, she quit and enrolled at the other school just in time to compete.